a geologist bakes

September 30, 2015September 30, 2015

I didn’t like Rice Pudding

But I think I might now. Ma used to make it, not often but every now and then. I’m not sure why or when I decided I wasn’t mad about it. And in ma’s defense I’m sure her rice pudding was lovely. It had much support from my siblings so I don’t know. It must have looked at me wrong.

Anyway, as I’m such a forward thinking individual who is eternally open to change I thought I’d give it a whirl myself. I also found a packet of pudding rice in Aldi and it’s not an ingredient you notice that often so I figured the world was talking to me.

I’d seen Raymond Blanc make a tasty looking version a while back so I started there. With a bottle of cream about to go off in my fridge and my new dietary status I made a few alterations. I also fancied something a little fruity so added a twist o’ orange and found a recipe for orange caramel by James Martin to add another level of wonderfulness.

The recipe in theory takes a while but it is impressively simple and in fact quite therapeutic in practice.

Allegedly this should serve 4 but I would say it’s closer to 3.

Oven temperature 150 Celsius

Pudding rice 75g

Caster sugar 40g

Full fat milk 700ml

Cream 150ml

Vanilla extract 1 teaspoon

Orange zest 1 orangeful

Orange Caramel;

Caster sugar 75g

Orange juice 1 orangeful

As with the fondant recipe I chose a fancy heatproof bowl to make this in, thinking that I might serve it at the table but as it turned out I ended up doling it out before it got to the table. I still like the idea of serving it at the table so be more organised than I and do that. Choose a fairly big, heatproof bowl, place it on a baking tray and leave to one side.

To start the ricy pudding put the rice, sugar, milk, cream, vanilla extract and orange zest in a big saucepan. Pop it on the heat and bring it gently to a boil. Once it’s bubbling well, reduce the heat so it drops back to a lively simmer. Let it simmer away for 30mins, stirring every few minutes to make sure it doesn’t catch on the bottom.

not exactly inspiring photography

Preheat the oven.

Once the 30mins is up pour the creamy rice mix into your chosen bowl. If you’ve decided against the serving at the table option just use a shallow, ovenproof dish as ugly as you like.

there is rice in there

Now, into the oven with it. In total it’ll take 1hr in there. I amn’t a fan of the weird skin that forms so I stirred mine every 15mins to stop it getting too skinny.

After the hour, remove it from the oven and let it stand somewhere warm for at least 30mins. This lets it get super creamy and more delicious.

just standing

In the meantime you can busy yourself making the orange caramel. Again, easy, but needs attention.

Scatter the sugar in one even layer in a frying pan. Put it on a medium-high heat and let it melt. DO NOT STIR IT. DO NOT TOUCH IT. Just leave it be. It’ll go from crystally and white to see through and liquidy looking before beginning to brown.

this is what sugar in a frying pan looks like

Be careful as it turns brown, you only want it to be a pale to medium brown any darker and it can get bitter.

that’s the perfect brown I speak of

Once it gets to the perfect golden brown, take the pan off the heat and carefully pour in the orange juice and whisk. BUT BE CAREFUL.

that was meant to be a whisk

Treat it as lava. Finger-melting lava. Whisk till all combined and smooth.

delicious

That’s everything ready. The rice pudding will be pretty thick but that is how I like it. If you want it thinner just add in some milk.

To serve, drizzle over some of the warm, fruity caramel. The below photo is rubbish. I know that.